A team of Sport Administration (SPAD) students from Laurentian University has bested many large US-based universities at the NSF Challenge Cup, a prestigious global consulting competition. The team, composed of third-year students Adam Mutuchky, Carson Harvey, Jordan Willmott, Cooper Fontaine, and Ben Fowkes (alternate), represented Laurentian University as the only Canadian participants among 11 teams from around the world.
Dr. Anthony Church's Events and Facilities class, where students participated in a mini case competition, was the catalyst that set a Laurentian team up for the competition. The winning team earned the opportunity to advance to the NSF Challenge Cup, where they were tasked with providing solutions to a real-world problem presented by the United States Fencing Association, aimed at increasing membership.
Top: Carson Harvey, Jordan Willmott - Bottom: Adam Mutuchky, Cooper Fontaine
"We've all known each other through our program, and that familiarity helped us leverage each other's strengths. Everyone played a vital role, and we worked tirelessly to present our best ideas," shared Adam Mutuchky, the team captain.
The competition, which took place over a two-week span from October 4 to 23, 2024, was conducted virtually, requiring intense collaboration despite geographical distances. Jordan Willmot, who is currently interning with the Ottawa Senators, emphasized the commitment and collaboration it took. "The others were together for hours on end working on this and even working remotely, I did everything I could to contribute. We left nothing on the table; we gave it 110%."
After a rigorous week of preparation, the team presented their solutions in the first round with hopes of continuing to the second and final round. The first round provided critical feedback and they were selected as the winning team to move forward out of their flight of four teams. That feedback shaped their strategy for the second presentation, which included a panel of expert judges, including the CEO of USA Fencing.
"We weren't sure how we stacked up after the first round because we didn't get the chance to see what the competition was putting forward," Carson noted, reflecting on their performance. "We only knew what we had done and based on that, we felt confident. It felt great moving on to the second round and even though we came up short, we're proud of what we produced."
The team ultimately were runners-up to Australia's Deakin University. The students say their main takeaway has been understanding the value of working to each team member's strengths and fully appreciating opportunities. "It's not lost on us how pivotal this learning experience was, whether we won or not," said Cooper. "It was a great experience to showcase our work to such impressive industry leaders."
Dr. Church commended their efforts and the importance of such competitions. "Competitions like the NSF Challenge Cup not only challenge students to apply their knowledge but also strengthen their ability to work as a team and think critically under pressure," he said. "Regardless of the outcome, every participant grows from the experience. The entire SPAD School is incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication displayed by these students."
Looking ahead, the team is eager to continue building on their experience. Adam expressed enthusiasm for future opportunities, "We've grown stronger as a team, we hope to mentor and encourage future Laurentian students to participate in future NSF Challenge Cup competitions."
As the students continue with their studies, they say there is a lot to look forward to in their program. They are planning for future placements within the sports industry and thinking about their fourth-year consulting trip (which will see SPAD students visiting Germany later this semester). The students remain committed to pursuing their professional development in the sports industry, taking with them valuable lessons learned from this competition.
